About the Changes

What portions of Title 16 are affected?

What do the changes mean for the public?

The amendments proposed to the Title 16 sections as listed above, are administrative and will alter application content for permits involving Short and Large Lot Subdivisions, Boundary Line Adjustments and Lot Combinations requested for parcels within Mason County jurisdiction.

Short Subdivisions

Language changes to remove redundant definition of land and refer to definition formalized in the code (MCC 16.08.310). Additionally, Mason County allows for the short subdividing of up to nine (9) lots in Urban Growth Areas (UGAs), this differs from the five (5) lot maximum for all parcels outside of UGAs.

Changes to the application content remove requirement of a phone number to be included with tract owners information. Additionally, the County will not require certification of all coterminous land not be owned by a land development business in relationship to the owner.

Large Lot Subdivisions

Changes to the application content to remove requirement of adjacent landowner names to be included.

Boundary Line Adjustment (BLA)

Language changes altering “Certificate” to “Approval”, Mason County does not provide a certificate currently, just an approval and requirement of recording the BLA with the county Auditor’s office.

Changes to the application content include requirement of a survey map, which will include a legal description and show the proposed boundary changes. A notarized declaration of boundary line adjustment will also be required, signed by all property owners.

A survey map is not currently required but frequently submitted under MCC 16.40.040 (3)(B)

The County’s Environmental Health department may need to review the submitted BLA to ensure the adjustment will comply with current Environmental Health codes.

The county will no longer process the recording of the BLA on the applicant’s behalf. The applicant will have up to one year from the date of Planning approval to record the boundary line adjustment with the county auditors office. Currently, all fees associated with recording the document with the county auditors office are paid by the applicant at time of recording, this will not change.

Lot Combinations

Also known as a “Declaration of Parcel Combination” or DPC, the county will no longer process the recording of the DPC on the applicant’s behalf. The applicant will have up to one year from the date of Planning approval to record the lot combination with the county auditors office. Currently, all fees associated with recording the document with the county auditors office are paid by the applicant at time of recording, this will not change.